Sometimes you have to go back to your roots to keep moving forward. For south London-based singer-songwriter Only Girl, real name Ellen Murphy, that's a lesson that couldn't be clearer or more bittersweet than on her new single "Remains." With sparse handclaps and reverent chords, the track has an almost spiritual simplicity as Murphy promises, I will rebuild this heart, with the remains of me.
"I wrote 'Remains' at a time when I felt like I was losing myself," Murphy told The FADER over email. "After spending almost two years so focused on my boyfriend Jamie's recovery from a traumatic brain injury, nothing else seemed important apart from him getting better. I left my old life behind, but as he continued to improve, I was starting to unravel. Writing music was like my therapy to get my emotions out and in turn, each song became a narrative of our journey together, through his recovery. In this song I was telling myself to just stop for a moment and remember the girl I was before; and that despite everything that had changed in my life and in him, I could still find a way to be my old self and learn to love him again."
"Remains" will be released on July 17th via Akira Records, ahead of a debut EP to follow (and a debut album in 2016). Pre-order the track here.